Tensioned fuse device



Dec. 13, 1966 w. BROCKMULLER ETAL 3,291,944

TENSIONED FUSE "DEVICE Filed Nov. 9. 1964 United States Patent Orifice 3,291,944 TENSIONED FUSE DEVICE Wolfgang Brockmiiller, Dortmund-Syburg, Germany, Werner Ibach, Knapsack, near Cologne, Germany, and Robert Queck, Cologne, Germany (all Friedrich Uhde G.m.b.H., Deggingstrasse 10-12, Dortmund, Germany) Filed Nov. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 409,777 7 Claims. (Cl. 200121) This invention relates to an anode safety fuse for electrolytic cells and more particularly to such electrolytic cells which are used in the chemical industry.

The increasing importance of electrolytic cells in the chemical industry has led to an ever increasing, extensive use of these electrolytic cell units and accordingly to an increase of anode loads. As a result of this increased anode load a careful readjustment of the electrode gap is required with the introduction of graphite electrodes, in order to keep the current use per production unit as low as possible. Various manual and automatic devices exist which aid in the readjustment of the electrodes.

With the electrode gaps adjusted as small as possible for economic reasons, each seemingly insignificant disturbance, for example the breaking off of a piece of graphite, leads to short circuits with all the resultant disturbances and damages of the unit parts connected with it. It had therefore previously been proposed to utilize the measurement of the increasing temperature of the current to switch off the cell part concerned. Such devices for accomplishing this, however, are very expensive and complicated and therefore unsuitable for large-scale application.

An object of this invention is to provide an effective and economical method and fuse for protecting electrolytic cells against damage from short circuits.

In accordance with this invention a conventional fuse is modified and utilized to carry out the above object. The anode fuse of this invention includes a soldered connection between the two metal current-conducting parts with a pressure spring mounted on a pin reacting between the current-conducting parts so that upon melting of the soldered connection the spring moves the parts out of contact with each other to interrupt the circuit. This interruption results in a relatively changed position of the parts which also causes elements in the fuse to strike or contact each other. This can thus be easily observed both visually and acoustically without the necessity of additional detecting equipment.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from a study of the following description and drawing in which the single figure shows a side view partially broken away and in section of one embodiment of this invention.

As shown in the drawing the current supply 1 of the anode fuse has at its upper end a metal current conducting contact plate 2. An insulated socket or hollow body 3 is mounted in contact plate 2 with a pin 4 secured to the base of socket 3. Pin 4 includes an upper flanged terminal 5 for purposes which will later become apparent. Also mounted within socket 3 and mounted about pin 4 is a coil or pressure spring 6 which reacts between the base of socket 3 and a second metal current transmitting contact plate 7 which is angle shaped. A flexible current carrying band or wire 8 is secured to contact plate 7, as shown in the drawing, to conduct the current away from supply 1. The lower end or leg 9 of contact plate 7 is positioned in a recess 10 of plate 2 to complete the circuit between wire 8 and supply 1. Angle end or leg 9 is secured in recess 10 by soldering.

When a malfunction occurs in the electrolytic cell with the accompanying temperature increase, the soldered con- 3,291,944 Patented Dec. 13, 1966 nectionmelts and spring 6 forces contact plate 7 upwardly along pin 4 which extends through plate 7 to interrupt or break the circuit. The position of wire or band 8 when the circuit is interrupted is shown in phantom in the draw- '6000 A. in seconds 8000 A. in 27 seconds 10,000 A. in 23 seconds 16,000 A. in 14 seconds The current interruption occurred with great safety and thus the individual anodes were protected without damage from the harmful results of short circuits and overloads. After removal of the short circuit cause, by simple resoldering or, if desired, by replacing the whole unit with a new unit, the anode is again available for use within a short period of time.

In a particularly advantageous form of this invention insulated socket 3 is swivelly mounted in a corresponding hole in contact plate 2 by means of a lock washer. In this manner insulated socket 3 can effectively house spring 6 and can mount pin 4 concentrically with terminal 5.

Advantageously, angle shaped contact angle plate 7 is soldered to contact plate 2 in a heating furnace or the like to guarantee an exactly defined, even soldering of all fuses of a large piece of electrolytic equipment.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that Within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tensioned fuse device for the anodes of electrolytic cells comprising an electrically conductive contact plate, means for attaching said contact plate to a current supply source, an electrically conductive current transmitting member, a soldered connection securing said contact plate to said transmitting member, said contact plate and said transmitting member being current carrying elements, resilient means reacting between said current carrying elements for moving out of contact with each other when said soldered connection melts to interrupt the current between them, one of said elements being movable in a predetermined path away from the other of said elements when said connection melts, the improvement which 0on sists in, an insulated pin being between said current carrying elements, said pin having a contact projection normally spaced from said one element and in said path of motion whereby said one element strikes said projection to indicate the current interruption when said elements are spread apart by said resilient means, said resilient means being a coil spring coaxially mounted about said insulated pin, an insulated body being swivelly mounted on one of said current carrying elements, and said pin and coil spring being secured within said body.

2. A tensioned fuse device for the anodes of electrolytic cells comprising an electrically conductive contact plate, means for attaching said contact plate to a current supply source, an electrically conductive transmitting member, a soldered connection securing said contact plate to said transmitting member, said contact plate and said transeasily be detected both by the changed position of plate 7 and wire or and also acoustically when the parts strike termitting member being current carrying elements, resilient means reacting between said current carrying elements for moving them out of contact with each other when said soldered connection melts to interrupt the current between them, detecting means for optically and acoustically indicating the current interruption, one of said current carrying elements being angle shaped, and one leg of said angle shaped current carrying element being spot soldered to the other current carrying element whereby portions of said current carrying elements are spaced from each other.

3. In a device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said insulated body is held in a correspondingly shaped bore in said one current carrying element by means of lock washers.

4. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said other current carrying element includes a recess, said one leg of said angle shaped element being soldered to said other element within said recess and the remaining portion of said angle shaped element being substantially parallel to said other element.

5. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said detecting means includes a hollow insulated body swivelly mounted in said contact plate, a pin secured to the base of said body and extending through said transmitting member, a projection on said pin normally spaced from said transmitting member, and said resilient means comprising a coil spring housed in said body and reacting between said base of said body and said transmitting member.

6. In a device as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said current carrying elements is angle shaped, and one leg of said angle shaped current carrying element being spot soldered to the other current carrying element whereby portions of said current carrying elements are spaced from each other.

7. In a device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said other current carrying element includes a recess, said one leg of said angle shaped element being soldered to said other element within said recess and the remaining portion of said angle shaped element being substantially parallel to said other element.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,769,059 10/ 1956 Baenziger 2001 17 2,921,167 1/1960 Dahlen 200-117 2,989,739 6/1961 Wilson 200l17 X 3,183,327 5/1965 Kozacka 200-121 BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner. H. B. GILSON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A TENSIONED FUSE DEVICE FOR THE ANODES OF ELECTROLYTIC CELLS COMPRISING AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE CONTACT PLATE, MEANS FOR ATTACHING SAID CONTACT PLATE TO A CURRENT SUPPLY SOURCE, AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE CURRENT TRANSMITTING MEMBER, A SOLDERED CONNECTION SECURING SAID CONTACT PLATE TO SAID TRANSMITTING MEMBER, SAID CONTACT PLATE AND SAID TRANSMITTING MEMBER BEING CURRENT CARRYING ELEMENTS, RESILIENT MEANS REACTING BETWEEN SAID CURRENT CARRYING ELEMENTS FOR MOVING OUT OF CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER WHEN SAID SOLDERED CONNECTION MELTS TO INTERRUPT THE CURRENT BETWEEN THEM, ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING MOVABLE IN A PREDETERMINED PATH AWAY FROM THE OTHER OF SAID ELEMENTS WHEN SAID CONNECTION MELTS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH CONSISTS IN, AN INSULATED PIN BEING BETWEEN SAID CURRENT CARRYING ELEMENTS, SAID PIN HAVING A CONTACT PROJECTION NORMALLY SPACED FROM SAID ONE ELEMENT AND IN SAID PATH OF MOTION WHEREBY SAID ONE ELEMENT STRIKES SAID PROJECTION TO INDICATE THE CURRENT INTERRUPTION WHEN SAID ELEMENTS ARE SPREAD APART BY SAID RESILIENT MEANS, SAID RESILIENT MEANS BEING A COIL SPRING COAXIALLY MOUNTED ABOUT SAID INSULATED PIN, AN INSULATED BODY BEING SWIVELLY MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID CURRENT CARRYING ELEMENTS, AND SAID PIN AND COIL SPRING BEING SECURED WITHIN SAID BODY. 